Outside
by automaton1c
Summary: The boy and Trico spend some time outside.


"Trico!" called the boy, his voice and footsteps echoing down the overgrown, wet corridor. A soft whistle behind him, paired with the beast's own loud footfalls, told him that Trico was not far behind. The creature had a tendency to wander, though, so the boy wasn't taking any chances.

Rounding a corner, the child spotted something that caused his heart to leap; sunlight. Ahead of him was an archway, with blinding light pouring through. Ignoring his weariness, the boy ran faster. "Trico, Trico! Hurry, come!"

With a gasp of delight, the boy burst out of the dank confines of the temple, grinning up at the sky. They'd been underground for what felt like ages, and both boy and beast had been getting very claustrophobic. He laughed, stretching his hands upward, feeling the warmth of the sun on his palms. Behind him, a rumbling groan announced the presence of Trico, who'd stepped, blinking, out into the light. The boy shifted his smile, almost as bright as the sun itself, to his companion. "Does it feel good, Trico?"

The creature gave a mighty shake, scattering feathers and dust, before rearing on his hind legs. He pawed the air with large talons, flapping his wings fruitlessly. He'd done this nearly every time they'd emerged into the outer air, as if the outcome would change. A soft croon, and Trico dropped back to all fours. There was a moment of stillness, before suddenly, the beast dashed forward, bounding towards the edge of the platform they were on.

The pair had found themselves in a grassy area, large enough for Trico to comfortably run, but small enough to be considered confining. Still, it certainly didn't bother the boy, who was a great deal smaller than his friend. Watching Trico dart off, he hesitated only a moment before following. Boy and beast stood at the edge of the platform, staring downwards, pondering their next move. He could clearly see what they needed to do. Get on Trico, jump to that small pillar, jump to the one adjacent to it, find a way to destroy the distant glass eye that was sure to cause them some trouble.

He grew tired thinking of the perilous climb he'd have to make. Thankfully, the animal beside him was in no hurry to leave. In fact, Trico tossed his head, turning away from the view before them, and gently nudged the human with his snout. The boy stared up into his large black eyes, confused. Trico simply repeated the gesture.

"What is it? Are you hungry?"

Trico snorted, blowing warm air over the boy. He bounced away, landing in a crouched position, tail waving, wings fluttering. The sudden energy startled the child, who was still quite concerned. Trico made a little, expectant sound, front feet dancing over the grass. Then, he bounced to another spot, landing in the same pose. The boy tilted his eyes, eyebrows furrowed. "Do you… want me to play with you?"

This seemed to excite the beast more, flickering his ears energetically.

The boy was happy to comply. However, he wasn't quite sure how. How did one play with a gigantic creature such as Trico? At a loss, he simply… turned and ran. To his surprise, Trico leapt to his feet, and bounded after him. Before he knew it, the child was being chased by a huge hyena-bird, squeaking and batting at the ground all the while.

Still, he was not afraid. The level of trust he had in Trico was astonishing, even to himself. The creature was obviously running slowly, jogging almost, being very careful not to get anywhere close to harming the boy.

This continued for a bit, until the animal gently stuck out his nose, and lightly tapped the boy on his back. Then, with a mighty leap, he cavorted away. The child stopped, staring at the beast, who squeaked in encouragement. Thinking the game was over, he started towards Trico, however, before he got too close, his companion bounced away again.

It finally clicked. It was _tag_! Trico was playing _tag_ with him! He remembered playing this game with other boys from his village, and having great fun. So, laughing, he dashed after Trico, the grass tickling his bare feet.

Of course, the boy had no real hopes of catching the hyena-bird, but Trico was being a fantastic sport. He would dance around the boy almost teasingly, before hesitating just long enough to be tagged. The child sprinted after him, not bothering to save his energy for later, more important occasions. Finally, for a time, he was a kid again, playing joyfully with a friend. A huge, feathery monster of a friend, but a friend nonetheless.

The game carried on, both Trico and his boy enjoying themselves immensely. It was an excellent way to melt away stress, something that they had in droves.

Eventually, though, it came to an end. Both beast and child were tired, and by some unseen mental agreement, they stopped. With no preamble or ceremony, Trico sat down heavily, yawning. The boy, who was panting a good deal more than his companion, followed suit.

There was silence. It was the first time in a while that the child had felt tired and happy.

Trico groaned lowly, shifting to lay down, stretching out on his side. He took a moment to adjust the position of his head, before closing his eyes. Even though he knew they should've been heading out, the boy watched without comment. And, in fact, with almost no hesitation, he stood, and moved over to Trico's stomach. Grasping handfuls of feathers, he climbed.

The human walked carefully over the creature's side, careful not to step on his wing, or any particularly bony parts. Once he found a spot he deemed comfortable enough, he took a seat, though this didn't last long before he'd flopped onto his stomach. Face buried in gray feathers, the boy sighed contently. Trico sighed as well, though whether it was in response or coincidence, the child couldn't tell.

That was something he often wondered about Trico. How much did the beast understand? Somehow, he knew how to play tag, and to come when he was called. He certainly wasn't dumb, by any means. He was able to plan concise jumps with ease, and could catch a falling boy from any angle. That required some degree of intelligence. The boy concluded that he was smarter than a dog or a cat, but less intelligent than a human. Still, he wondered.

"Trico." the boy said, lifting his head up, so his voice wasn't muffled by feathers. The call garnered no response. He tried again, more incessantly. "Trico!"

With a huff, the animal raised his head, turning to peer at the human with sleepy eyes. The boy stared back.

"Can you understand me, Trico?" he inquired, lowering his voice to prevent shouting at the beast. The creature in question gave no answer for a period of time, simply gazing and blinking down at the boy. Then, he grumbled, and laid his head back down.

The child rolled onto his back, shifting his eyes to the sky. He'd call that a 'maybe'.

Again, all was quiet. The sun was pleasantly warm, as were Trico's feathers, lulling the boy into a peaceful, half-alert state. A gentle wind whistled through the many cracks and crevices of the temple above them. Occasionally, stones would plummet down, shaken loose by either the wind or age. The grass below the pair smelled fresh, and waved slowly. Trico adjusted a foot, then fell back into stillness. All was calm.

The boy pondered.

His mind was bursting with questions, questions that demanded answers, though there were none. Firstly, where were they? What was this strange place, full of spires and bottomless drops? How far away was his village? If he ever did manage to escape, would he ever make it back home?

Secondly, why were they here? Why them, specifically? He knew of other Tricos, and he certainly knew of more capable humans than himself, so why them?

Thirdly, what were the suits of armor that constantly plagued them? Why did they attack them, and why were they so determined to get the boy? They might have been the ones that placed them there in the first place, but if so, why? What was the purpose?

Lastly, why could he remember so little? This particular question was one that took a great deal longer to realize. He knew he had a village, a family, and a life outside of Trico. However, he couldn't truly remember them. The boy couldn't picture his mother's face, or remember her name. He couldn't piece together what the language he spoke was called, or what environment his village was in. His own name, even, was a hazy mystery.

Still, he knew the names of flowers and trees, he knew that a long drop would kill him, and he knew Trico. That was enough, for now.

Did Trico care about him as he cared for Trico? Did the beast see him as a friend, or simply a means to an end? The boy hoped it was the former. He could never see Trico as a 'pet'. Perhaps it was his level of intelligence, or the independent way he acted, but the boy didn't feel as if Trico was his. That seemed wrong, in a sense.

Lazily, he rested his hand on the beast's side, and started to pet him.

It was only in quiet, still moments like these that the boy realized how tired he was. His entire body ached, from his legs to his shoulders. His hands were rough, cracked and bleeding in some places, and he was sure his feet were in a worse state. The child was dirty, too, covered in mud and dust. The clothes he wore were steadily becoming more tattered, holes forming in various spots.

Additionally, he didn't even want to think about his hunger. Along their path, he found the occasional salamander, which had become his primary source of nutrients. He'd been taught how to identify plants, namely which were poisonous and which were safe. The boy wouldn't starve, but it certainly wasn't a complete diet. Once, out of desperation, he had tried the odd, glowing goop that filled the barrels he fed to Trico. It caused his entire mouth to burn, sting, and itch, all at the same time. From then on, he vowed never to eat the stuff again. At least he had access to plenty of water.

When they were on the move, and he was filled with adrenaline, these things never bothered him. Running, climbing, falling, and fighting off suits of armor occupied his time quite well, so he didn't have much time to worry about his aching feet. As soon as they stopped, it became an entirely different story. The few hours of sleep he managed to catch were often fitful, full of nightmares and terrors. There were few positions that didn't cause a part of his body to sing out in pain. Even now, relaxing on Trico, his back felt as though it was knotting up.

Truly, it was an arduous adventure for the boy. Even so, all they could do was push onwards, and try to escape. The plan after that was quite muddled, but he believed in crossing bridges when he came to them. Together, he and Trico would make it. Trico's agility, strength, and knowledge of the land, combined with his own intelligence and courage equaled an unstoppable team.

Bolstered by this thought, the child exhaled slowly, sinking further into the mass of feathers. Perhaps he would take a nap. They'd both earned one.

Just then, the comfortable silence was broken. A long distance away, a roar pierced the air, the unmistakable sound of another Trico.

Instantly, the animal underneath the boy jerked his head up, ears perked, nostrils flaring. He held that position for a few seconds, before scrambling to get his feet underneath him, and jump into an alert crouch.

Thankfully, the boy was adept at staying on Trico, and immediately grabbed at his feathers when he felt the creature's muscles tense. Jolted awake from his half-asleep state, he rubbed at his eyes, glancing around quickly. Finding his footing, he straddled Trico the best he could, peering around the animal's long neck.

The air around them had changed. No longer was this place peaceful and still. Now, it was holding its breath, anticipatory, ready for the next stage in their journey. It was time to go. The boy, with a bit of regret, knew that they wouldn't be coming back to this area. They had to keep moving forward.

Trico stretched his neck up and gave a loud roar in return, as if challenging the other beast. His boy reached forward, patting his shoulder soothingly. With a point and a few words, he was guided over to the edge of the platform.

"Alright, Trico. Let's go."

Trico turned his head, glancing behind him, and tipped his head in a way that certainly could have been a nod, before gathering himself, and leaping off the edge.


End file.
